Identical twins Lindsey and Lauren Norberg’s first memories are older brother Kris playing with them while their mother, Sue, dashed off for a second nearby. While Lauren narrates and Lindsey nods, they portray their childhood in Newfield as “beautiful.”

“We lived on a farm with fields and orchards, down the road from our grandmother. Our other grandparents lived in town,” Lauren says. “We had horses, dogs, cats, a beloved compost pig, and we had lots of fun. We went to the library all the time. Our whole family went camping, some years in the Adirondacks, and our mom made sure we got outside every single day. Now we’re grown up, we still love to be outside. We still love animals and reading and family fun.”

The Norberg sisters are now in their second year of veterinary school at Auburn University in Alabama. When it came time for the Olympic swimming qualifiers and Ithaca High School grads to select a college, Mom weighed in. A former swim coach at Cornell, she suggested Auburn, renowned for its competitive swimming program.

It’s different heading off to college when one is part of long-standing (since before they were born), close, loving team. Throughout their years growing up, Lindsey, Lauren and Kris did everything together. When Kris married good family friend and neighbor Marianna, his anniversary trips often included Lindsey and Lauren. Last year, the foursome went to France.

Because Lauren and Lindsey decided on Auburn a bit after most students, they did not get 100 percent of their first-choice classes. So their first semester, they were in different English classes. “One of us got the demanding teacher; one of us got the easy teacher,” Lauren says. But they took every other class throughout college together.

Lauren and Lindsey had plans when they arrived in Alabama: They would do their best in the pre-veterinarian program and would swim competitively. Judging from the many articles about them on the web, they excelled at both, and quickly became campus celebrities.

“We found Auburn University dazzling. We had to rein ourselves in,” Lindsey said. “We said our job is to learn. But we also had been swimming competitively for 15 years, so our second job is to swim (training, practicing, competing).”

Lindsey and Lauren qualified for the Olympic trials in 2008 and 2012. The Division I athletes received multiple All-American honors and were recognized as NCAA First Team Scholar All-Americans for their accomplishments in the pool and in the classroom. At the end of their swimming career, their best times in the 100-yard breaststroke were only 4 one-hundredths apart.

“Each day, we focused on our goals: we swam before school early in the morning, and then studied hard on campus until 5 p.m.,” Lauren says. “We headed home, walked our dogs and made a healthy dinner. Then we would study and get ready for the next day.

“The pre-vet studies were terrific. And Auburn’s swim program was very, very good.”

When it came time to apply for veterinary school, they “put all their eggs in one basket”

“We fell in love with Auburn,” Lindsey says. “People are so friendly and polite. It’s sunny all winter, and not as cold as Ithaca. We adore our landlords, who have adopted us as their northern grandchildren. Our apartment is darling; it has a little yard for our three dogs (rescued during their first veterinary clinical job).”

Any downside to their life at Auburn? “Our Mom is a great cook,” Lauren says. “Growing up, she made everything with fresh vegetables, mostly vegan or vegetarian meals. We love good, healthy food. ... Auburn has one tiny produce market, with really nice owners. We love to cook, and we go there and buy lots of produce. ... Maybe someday they will have a few more farmers markets.”

After Team Norberg graduated summa cum laude from Auburn with 3.88 averages, they decided to work one year before beginning veterinary school. They alternated assignments in a small practice with two vets.

In the morning, one twin would serve as receptionist. The other assisted the veterinarians by handling the animals and running diagnostic tests in the other part of the small building. At midday, Lindsey and Lauren would switch assignments.

“Every so often, a client we didn’t know would act annoyed: ‘I gave you that information this morning,’ the client would protest. The ‘new twin’ would explain it was her identical sister to whom that info had just been conveyed,” Lindsey says.

The girls reassure they have never intentionally swapped identities, even briefly.

When Lindsey and Lauren come home to the area to visit, they spend lots of time with family members, family animals and dear friends with whom they have practiced and competed with since they were 8 years old.

Even with all their loved ones around them, at the end of the day, the Lindsey-Lauren team is central.

“We share everything,” Lauren says. “Mostly, we’re pretty laid back; we enjoy everything. We both have optimistic outlooks. Even when we compete against each other, it’s good. We push each other to be the best we can be.

“We’re genetically so similar, and we’ve grown up along parallel journeys. We’re happy doing the same things together. When we do things together, we each do our best. The two of us, we’re a team.”